


Nothing New

by laterose



Category: Naruto
Genre: Childhood Friends, F/F, Fix-It, Haruno Sakura-centric, Non-Canon Relationship, Post-War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-03 22:48:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24563374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/laterose/pseuds/laterose
Summary: After her dreams of romance with Sasuke are crushed once and for all, Sakura finds that what you always wanted isn't always what you need--and sometimes what you need has been right in front of you all along.Loosely inspired by Hayley Kiyoko's "Girls Like Girls."
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Yamanaka Ino
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	Nothing New

**Author's Note:**

> Typical disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the Naruto characters mentioned in this fanfiction. Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto. 
> 
> Enjoy!

Sasuke arrived at sunset. He stood between Sakura and the glistening water of the lake, looking mysterious and pensive as ever. “Sakura, why did you want to meet me here?” he asked. It was a peaceful, romantic place, where Sakura had hoped to talk about peaceful, romantic things. Peace was the time for love, after all. The great war was finally over. Sakura had thought that everything would be different now. Maybe this would even be their first actual date. Everything was different now, anything could happen.  
She spilled her heart out in a rush, looking at her feet all the while. “And now that the war is over, you can come home, Sasuke. I know you’re not really allowed, but Kakashi-sensei won’t let anyone stop you. And I-I’ll protect you. We could...stay together.” Sakura peeked up at him from beneath pink lashes, hoping she looked beguiling. “Maybe we could spend more time together. If I can’t come with you on your missions now, you can come back to me.”   
Sasuke looked into her eyes for the first time since he came.   
“Sakura,” he said evenly, “I’m just not interested in a relationship like that. With you or anyone.” Sasuke’s blunt words were like an arrow through her heart. He never did have any tact. “After everything we’ve gone through, it wouldn’t be fair to you to let you think otherwise.”   
“So...there’s no hope for us, then?”   
“I’m sorry, Sakura.” He spoke with some actual warmth despite his words. He turned to the water, his dark cloak whipping in the wind like something out of an old novel. “I am not what you need. What I have to do from here on...it doesn’t leave time for a wife and family. But thank you. For everything.” With a mildly dramatic swish of his cape, he was gone.  
Two minutes.  
Two minutes, she mused. So much for a real first date. Sakura stood in the gathering dark alone. This should be nothing new, she tried to tell herself. She was already all too aware that Sasuke didn’t feel the same way about her. Still, in the back of her mind, she always had hoped that once Naruto brought him back to the village, once they were team seven again, he’d see her in a whole new light. He’d realize he was wrong about her. He’d finally fall for her.   
Sakura made her way back to the center of the village. Shops were lighting their lanterns and mothers were calling their children to come inside, to come home. Home. Family. Sakura wondered if she would ever get a life like that. The truth of Sasuke’s words become increasingly clear as she walked on. Sasuke was still technically an international criminal, even if his charges had been wiped clear by Kakashi-Sensei. His penance for abandoned the village and attacking the five kage summit was to wander the world, protecting the Leaf from the shadows. He wasn’t even allowed to be within the village walls for more than one hour at a time. Even if they got together like she’d always dreamed, how could someone like that keep a family in the village? They would always be on the run together...or he would be on the run, and she’d be left here alone.   
Suddenly, the world went dark.   
“Guess whooooo!” Sakura would recognize that voice anywhere. She laughed, grabbing the delicate hands that were over her eyes and spinning around. A pair of bright blue eyes and a sweep of golden hair greeted her.   
“Ino! You know you can’t surprise me with that anymore.”  
“I know,” the other woman said, waving her hand. “But it’s still fun to mess with you!” She flashed Sakura a blindingly white smile. “But stop trying to distract me.”  
“Huh?”   
“Sooo, how was your first date with Sasuke?” Ino said his name with as much flourish as possible.   
“Well…” Sakura wasn’t sure where to begin. “It only lasted two minutes.”  
“TWO MINUTES?” The blonde demanded. “Sakura, if a man only spent two minutes with me on a first date, there would be no second date.”  
“Well, um, I wouldn’t even call it a date. He basically just told me he wasn’t going to date me, or anyone, and then left. He has to go back to his mission.”   
“I know I’ve been saying this for years, but girl, you’ve really gotta get over him.”   
Sakura smiled. “Ino, you’re the one who used to compete with me for him! Even you weren’t immune to those good looks, Ino-Pig.” Sakura felt a flash of embarrassment for using that old, taunting nickname. Ino looked away. She chewed her lip for a moment, scraping off some pink lipgloss.   
“Well,” she said. “That’s one way of---”   
“Hey, Ino!” A voice interrupted whatever she was going to say. “Are you coming to dinner or not?” Choji stood across the street with Shikamaru. Sakura realized they were near Choji’s favorite BBQ place, and she had probably run across Ino on her way there.  
“Oh, I’m sorry guys, I didn’t realize you were having a team night. I’ll just get on my way home.”  
“Nonsense!” Ino replied. “You’ll be joining us.” Choji and Shikamaru nodded like they were long past arguing with anything Ino said.   
“Oh, alright, it can’t hurt. Well, anything but my waistline.”  
“Your waist is fine,” Ino said, wrapping her arm around Sakura’s supposedly safe waist to usher her into the restaurant. “This place has yakitori to die for!” The food here must be fantastic, Sakura thought, if Ino wasn’t the least bit concerned about her diet.   
As it turned out, the food really was good. Sakura chewed her last bite of kabob thoughtfully. Shikamaru sighed and cracked one eye open at her.   
“So, Sakura, what were you doing out tonight?” Shikamaru asked. “You’re not really a night owl.” Sakura sighed. Shikamaru was perceptive, alright.   
“Yeah, really,” Choji interjected, “I feel like we’ve barely seen you around lately--oh yeah, more dumplings, please!” The waiter spun around to put in Choji’s third order. That boy’s stomach is truly a bottomless pit, Sakura thought. She stared down at her empty plate.  
“Well, I had to meet up with someone.”   
“Oh, you got a date?” Choji grinned around a mouth full of chicken. “Who’s the lucky guy?”  
Sakura caught Ino’s gaze. Ino raised an eyebrow. Sakura knew her friend well enough to know she was practically daring her to admit she had a first date that lasted less than five minutes. Ino could probably hold a man’s attention for hours. Sakura decided not to give her the satisfaction of a straight answer.  
“It wasn’t like that at all! I just had to talk to Sasuke about something!”  
Choji had already gone back to spearing more chicken onto his plate before she was finished with the sentence. Shikamaru rolled his eyes, for probably the eight time. Sakura felt inwardly relieved that, unlike Naruto, these boys really couldn’t care less about Sasuke. Maybe they had the right idea, she thought, scrapping the last of her sauce off the plate. Who needs him anyway! Sakura sighed. Yeah, if it would be that easy to forget. 

It was about an hour later that Sakura found herself at her front door, accompanied by Ino. The guys had split off to take their own way home. Sakura stared at her front door, wondering how she would even pass the hours on her day off tomorrow.  
“We need to have a girls’ day,” Ino cried, breaking into her thoughts. “Just the two of us!”  
Sakura turned and smiled. “That does sound nice.”  
Ino threw her arm around Sakura’s shoulders. “You’ll forget all about that Sasuke, I promise.” Then she pushed Sakura towards the door. “Now get some rest, girl.”


End file.
